Pay for performance? What a concept

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is proposing legislation—delightfully entitled the “Excellent Care for All” bill—to connect the salaries and bonuses of provincial hospital chief executive officers with their on-the-job performance. We’re not talking here simply about how well the CEOs manage to shave operating room costs or slash vital support jobs to meet too-small budgets, but […]

IWK book to launch October 8

You’re Invited! The IWK Health Centre and Nimbus Publishing are celebrating the launch of IWK: A Century of Caring for Families a new book by Stephen Kimber Where: The Gallery of the Richard B. Goldbloom Pavilion, IWK Health Centre 5850/5980 University Ave. When: Thursday, October 8, 11:00am

Scotia Surgery deal cosmetic

This week’s revelation that our on-its-way-out-turn-on-the-taps Tory government renewed a controversial contract with Scotia Surgery in early June—just six days before voters shoved it onto the political trash heap—was… well, interesting. But not surprising. More intriguing—and perhaps more telling—was Health Minister Maureen MacDonald’s shrug response. “They’re entitled to sign contracts right up to the day […]

Health care right to strike (Oct 18, 2007)

Parent’s disappointment is disingenuous So poor, put-upon Labour Minister Mark Parent is “disappointed” in Nova Scotia’s health care union leaders for refusing to meet with him face-to-face, man-to-man, cabinet-minister-to-lowly peon so he could lay before their wondering eyes the glorious, gory details of exactly how his government intends to take away their members’ right to […]

Michael Goodyear's ordeal continues (Oct 4, 2007)

Five years of ‘stress, isolation and poverty’ Dr. Michael Goodyear marked an anniversary this week. He didn’t celebrate. Five years ago on Tuesday — Oct. 2, 2002 — Goodyear, a respected medical oncologist and ethics researcher, received a letter from his bosses at the Capital District Health Authority. As the result of ongoing personality clashes […]

Health care right to strike (Sept 20, 2007)

Health care strikes not the issue It is intriguing to watch politically tin-eared, ideologically wrong-headed Rodney — the premier who couldn’t make up his many minds on Sunday shopping until it was too late for him to claim anything but blame — now relentlessly clutching between his teeth the chewed, spit-up bone of legislation to […]